Liisi

DESCRIPTION

Liisi's socks were inspired by an old Finnish carol in which brother Juhani and sister Liisi are woken up early on a frosty Christmas Eve morning for a sleigh ride to the church.

Liisi’s socks are cabled knee-high socks with an intricate vine-and-bobbles cable running from toe to cuff. The central cable is flanked by narrower ones on the sides. Calf shaping is hidden inside a wide garter-stitch panel on the back of the leg. The socks are finished in a long, fold-over cuff made in twisted ribbing.

Liisi’s socks are knit from the toe up in DK-weight sock yarn. The socks come in three sizes and can be adjusted for fit within the pattern. You can also knit the socks to mid-calf length and skip the calf shaping.

Both written and charted instructions are given for the cable pattern.

Share your project with the hashtags #liisisocks and #talviknits.

SIZES

• S [M, L]
• 46 [50, 54] s
• Shoe size approx. EU 38/39 [40/41, 43/44] / US 6½–7½ [8–8½, 10–11]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

• Foot circumference: approx. 20 [21.5, 23.5] cm / 7¾ [8½, 9¼]"
• Foot length: approx. 22.5 [23.5, 26] cm / 8¾ [9¼, 10¼]" or adjustable within pattern
• Mid-calf leg length from top of heel flap: approx. 12.5–15 [12.5–15, 17–19.5] cm / 5–6 [5–6, 6¾–7½]" or adjustable within pattern
• Knee-high leg length from top of heel flap: approx. 30–32.5 [30–32.5, 34.5–37] cm / 12–12¾ [12–12¾, 13¾–14½]" or adjustable within pattern
• Calf circumference in knee-high socks: approx. 28 [30, 31] cm / 11 [11¾, 12¼]" or adjustable

Choose a size with approx. 10% of negative ease.

MATERIALS

Yarn

• Jalovilla Pässi (85% wool, 15% nylon, 230 m/100 g, 252 yd/3.53 oz), 1 [2, 2] skeins for mid-calf socks or 3 skeins for knee-high socks
• Or approx. 230 [270, 300] m / 250 [290, 350] yd of DK-weight sock yarn for mid-calf socks
• Or approx. 480 [500, 540] m / 530 [550, 590] yd of DK-weight sock yarn for knee-high socks

The sample pair is knit in size M in a maroon colorway.

Needles

• 3.25 mm / US #3 double-pointed or circular needle(s) for stockinette and cable pattern (or size needed to obtain gauge)
• 3.00 mm / US #2½ double-pointed or circular needle(s) for twisted ribbing

Notions

• 2 cable needles (optional)
• 2 stitch markers for the knee-high socks
• Darning needle

GAUGE

23 sts × 32 rnds = 10 cm / 4" in stockinette on larger needles, blocked

TECHNIQUES USED

This pattern uses the following techniques: working small circumferences in the round, cables, and German short rows. Ability to follow charts is recommended but written instructions are also provided for the cable pattern. The pattern assumes knowledge of a cast-on and bind-off method for toe-up socks; references are given for a few alternatives.

REFERENCES

• 5 Ways to Cast on Toe-up Socks
• German Short Rows
• Comparison of 20 Stretchy Bind-off Methods